THE WORDS OF SUBEDAI
An ongoing monologue about the trials and tribulations of life in general, being an avid reader, figure painter, terrain modeller, part time wargamer -with a rather scary fixation for the Mongols- part time rule writer, aspiring writer and photographer, very amateur artist and being a follower of both West Ham United and Sittingbourne FC...ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!!

Saturday, 30 August 2014

I am still
plugging away with my Mongols Project and as you can see by the latest chart
below, the numbers are increasing all the time. The new order from Irregular arrived a few days ago so another unit of LC for the 2nd tuman and another of Chinese MI Spear will soon be added to the list. I also sent to Pendraken for a bag of their Arab infantry to go with the Khrazmians whom as you can see are still sadly lacking in infantry and unfortunately, I can't use anything as a substitute. I reckon it's about time I had
another go with my rules to see how they are working...and of course to jog my
memory on how to use them.

The latest
batch of articles are almost ready for Henry, I am just letting them sit for a
week before I proof-read them prior to e-mailing. I also have to take some
pictures but the lighting set-up in Narnia is not quite of photographic quality
so I will have to work out something there. I have three angle-poise desk
lights so at some stage they might be called into service.

Nationality

Manufacturer

Troop Type

Units
Infantry

Units
Cavalry

Figs
Infantry

Figs
Cavalry

Mongol

Irregular

EHC Keshik

1

21

Irregular

MC/HC

3

72

Irregular

LC

11

135

Pendraken

MC/HC

1

21

Pendraken

LC

1

12

Command

1

13

Total

17

1

274

Chinese

Irregular

HC

1

21

Irregular

LC

3

36

Irregular

HI

2

84

Irregular

M/LI (X
Bow)

4

114

Irregular

M/LI (Bow)

3

60

Irregular

MI (Spear)

2

66

Irregular

Rocket

1

Command

8

Total

12

4

332

57

Khwarezmia

Irregular

HC

3

63

Irregular

LC

3

36

Irregular

MI

1

30

Command

Total

1

6

30

99

Poland

Pendraken

HC

4

80

Pendraken

MI levy

2

60

Pendraken

LI X Bow

1

21

Pendraken

Inf
Peasants

1

38

Pendraken

LI Bow

3

64

Total

7

4

183

80

Grand
Totals

20

31

546

510

Another thing
I have been toying with is Russians in 10mm for the Mongol Project. To my
knowledge no single manufacturer makes them so it would be a matter of mix and
match existing ranges.

Some of the
Irregular Arab cavalry (TC3) from the Medieval Range have the conical style of
helmet which I have already used for the Khwarizmians and would be useful for boyars and some druzhina while TC22 and TC23 can be used for the lower classes of
cavalry. For variety some of the earlier Dark Ages Range TDA10, 11 and 12 are
also reasonably compatible even if the kite shields are a bit too long. For
infantry, TC24 with the different shaped shields would make reasonably well
kitted out town or city levy with some TDA1, 2, 3, 4 and 9 infantry mixed in.
Again, the kite shield is a little long but hey. Any kind of generic peasant
spear/axemen would do for the LI contingent.

Using Pendraken
figures, EMM2 cavalry is useful but not overly so, personally, I would only use
a few as the little chaps do not have helmets. EMM4 infantry are good –I have
loads of these in the Polish Army- along with the command EMM3. The Saxon Range
AS1 – 6 are useful and can mix well. In fact I have mixed both Irregular and
Pendraken in the same units to give more variety and so far so good.

Friday, 8 August 2014

The first two articles of Series Three for
Henry are finished, just need proofing before sending and the painting is
coming along as well. The last 17 Mongols are finished and the lot are based
and packed away with their fellows but...while I was basing I found that I had
a standard bearer over. So you know what this means? Correct, another order to
Irregular for 10 Mongol LC –I already have an officer figure lying about- and
that will be a sixth mingghan for the
second tümen. Also, I have painted
another Chinese unit, this time of infantry spearmen and the bases are drying
as I write. But again, I have found that I have 23 remaining spearmen. So, when
the order for the Mongols goes in I will have to add another 7 spearmen to the
list. Checking the numbers (including the new figures) I will have a the
following totals to paint; 90 Chinese infantry, 12 cavalry and two rockets all
of which are from Irregular plus 67 Polish infantry,15 cavalry plus 30 Mongol
peasants and 45 Mongol cavalry from Pendraken. Couple of weeks work should see
them off. Hah!

So while I am painting stuff for the Mongol project my mind is
wandering. I have realised that the tinterweb is a double edged sword in that
it’s great for basic research but the stuff is at your fingertips...literally.
I’ve been looking at WWI in the east, Zulu Colonial (I blame the current repeat
of the excellent Shaka series for that one) and also a solo WWII Campaign.

Now bear with
me because there is a logical train of thought for the last. Several weeks ago,
we went camping in Sussex. On the way back we went a different way and drove
through Tenterden and that area. This got me thinking. Some of the buildings
were old when Charles I was a runtling so they won’t have changed much. Loads of
variety even for home made 6mm buildings, with the bonus that I can make it look
like the real thing –even down to the terrain. This gave me the idea of a What
If? campaign set in late 1944 or early 1945 after D-Day failed and the Germans
invaded England via Kent. Not long after I was perusing through the local Works
shop in town and found a modern reprint of the 1920’s equivalent OS Landranger
map in 1:50,000 scale of the area around Maidstone and Royal Tunbridge Wells.
Excellent! I have a German SS Division at 1:5 which works out at 15 Panthers
and 30 Mk IV’s plus Recce, AA, SP Art etc now all I need is an Allied army
because I have a few Shermans from my far eastern Americans (unfinished), some
lorries and ½ tracks but that’s it. More Shermans, Fireflys et al will be
required to see this project get off the drawing board. Keeping my eyes open at
any show Bring & Buys.

Another option
for a campaign is based on the old WRG Game-in-a-Bag, The Empire of the
Steppes, well, using the map anyway. So I got it copied (for my own use so I
don’t ruin the real one) and marked it up with the right states and
countries...and that’s as far as that one has got as well.

This is the
problem of a solo wargamer. Focus. To my mind it’s just a word that I use but don’t
necessarily follow. This is why the Butterfly Effect is prevalent as I flit from one idea
to another. Most of them will probably never happen but...

Subedai (aka Mick Sayce)

Apparently I'm a grumpy old man who spends too much time on the computer, reading, watching football -especially West Ham United- and painting 'toy' soldiers.(Pearls of Wisdom from the other half).
P.S. Photo of moi was taken by the OH at El Jem, an incredibly atmospheric, ruined Roman amphitheatre in Tunisia.